Online groups and communities that you can get involved in to make a positive impact on our natural world.
Getting involved in a green online group or community is a great way to make your voice heard amidst the climate crisis. Online groups and communities empower individuals and businesses to volunteer, donate, act upon, and speak out on environmental-related issues that we are faced with. Community involvement is at the core of grassroots environmental efforts and has proven effective in combatting climate change.
A group that was built from the ground up by its passionate members, Sustainable Living promotes a higher quality of life through a self-sustaining society. There is not one singular ideology that dominates this page as the content is truly derived from its members. The page shares ways that individuals can build more efficient businesses and personal lifestyles. The group does not allow spam, bigotry, violence, politics, bullying, shaming, or even turf wars over the definition of sustainability.
Renewable Energy World – LinkedIn
With nearly 200,000 members, the Renewal Energy World LinkedIn group is the largest renewal energy group on the platform. It has an active network of industry professionals who are leading the charge of the renewable energy revolution. Job opportunities, educational articles, and discussion posts are frequently shared. It’s a listed group, so you must request to join before partaking in the community.
Located out of Burlington, Vermont, 1% For The Planet is a globally distinguished brand that has overseen the distribution of hundreds of millions of dollars to environmental initiatives across the world. Businesses and individuals alike can get involved by donating 1% of gross sales or salary to environmental nonprofits. Members can then pair themselves with a nonprofit of their choice that aligns with their personal values. Nonprofits offer volunteer opportunities and actions that can be taken to help their cause.
1% For The Planet focuses on six core areas: climate, food, land, pollution, water, and wildlife.
Follow 1% For The Planet on Twitter or join their Facebook group to get involved.
A United States-focused group of advocates of science, the Union of Concerned Scientists puts science before politics. This community shares peer-reviewed scientific articles to help members make evidence-based decisions on issues related to energy, transportation, climate, nuclear, and large-scale food production. The community also focuses on sharing evidence-based information that combats misinformation and fake news.
The Union of Concerned Scientists has a robust network of scientists and advocates alike to help build skills and connect with like-minded individuals. It’s free to get involved, but donations are encouraged.
Connect on Twitter or Facebook to begin participating.
A Netherlands-based group focused on protecting and restoring the marine environment, Seas at Risk is comprised of 32 NGO member organizations across 17 countries. Seas at Risk has a robust online community and an active newsletter that spreads information related to marine protected areas, fisheries, marine litter, shipping, and the overarching climate crisis.
The Seas At Risk community is active on Twitter and Facebook alike.
Sustainability Professionals – LinkedIn
A thriving group of over 230,000 sustainability professionals on LinkedIn, Sustainability Professionals is a great place to network with likeminded individuals. Sustainability Professionals sees job postings, discussions, and news updates of sustainable initiatives by companies involved. There is no spam allowed and no self-promotion. The admin does a phenomenal job of limiting posts to strictly topics related to sustainability and the environment.
National Resources Defense Council
Regarded as one of the most powerful environmental groups in the United States, the National Resources Defense Council combines grassroots activism with a formidable team of over 700 scientists, lawyers, and other natural resource policy advocates. With offices in Washington D.C., San Francisco, New York City, New Delhi, Chicago, Bozeman, and Beijing, the National Resources Defense Council has dipped its toes in just about all the major environmental issues across the globe.
The National Resources Defense Council encourages members to get involved through one-time or monthly donations and acting by contacting lawmakers.
The Council boasts a network of over 1.4 million members and counting that are heavily involved on Twitter and Facebook.
The International Friends of Nature
For over 150 years this Austrian-based NGO has focused on ecotourism justice and protection, the protection of natural and cultural heritages, and solidarity. It is comprised of over 350,000 active members. Members can get involved by consuming materials or participating in activities related to sustainable tourism, experiencing nature, climate justice, and more.
Get involved with the Naturefriends on Twitter or Facebook.
The World Wild Fund for Nature is the world’s largest conservation group with over five million active members and supporters with over 1,300 ongoing projects at any given time. The World Wild Fund is well-known on Facebook with a community of almost 3,000,000 followers. Its Twitter account is even more impressive with a following of almost 4,000,000 followers.
The World Wild Fund for Nature allows members to get involved through donations, participation in projects, or by ‘adopting’ an endangered or threatened animal. For example, you can ‘adopt’ an arctic fox for $55 and will be given a gift box with an adoption certificate, gift bag, plush arctic fox, and photo of your newly adopted arctic fox. Proceeds go directly to habitat restoration and protection of the arctic fox.
A no-kill wildlife sanctuary for big cats in Sandstone, MN, The Wildcat Sanctuary is a non-profit funded through private donations. Unlike the controversial sanctuaries of the likes of Carol Baskins and Joe Exotic, this sanctuary is not open to the public at the sanctuary has vowed to never expose these big cats to exhibitions again.
The Wildcat Sanctuary has a massive following of Facebook of over 2,700,000. Most of their social media involvement revolves around educating the community of big cats such as lions, tigers, Bengals, and more.
Women in Cleantech and Sustainability
With an active LinkedIn and Facebook following, Women in Cleantech and Sustainability is a growing group that brings together women with bright minds, inspiring stories, and experience in the cleantech and sustainability sector. The group periodically holds seminars led by other women for members to inspire and inform. They also periodically post job opportunities for other women in the industry to apply for.
Greenpeace International made its fame in the 1970s for its anti-whaling activism and exposing secret nuclear testing. Since then, Greenpeace has grown into one of the most recognizable and controversial environmental advocacy groups in the world. They are known for their courageous volunteers that take a boots-on-the-ground approach to stop rampant deforestation, nuclear testing, mining, and more.
The group has an impressive following of 2,700,000 on Facebook and 1,800,000 on Twitter.
Located out of the United Kingdom, Birdlife International is committed to protecting birds of all shapes and sizes as well as their habitats. It’s a huge organization with over $636 million donated and an active network of over 2,700,000 members. Birdlife International is recognized globally as the world leader in bird conservation. They believe in transparency, rigorous science, and practical feedback to fuel their conservation efforts.
Birdlife International is active on both Facebook and Twitter.
Best known for their quirky ‘Whale Wars’ series on the Animal Planet, Sea Shepherd Global has been harassing the whaling industry for many years. They use direct tactics such as stink bombs, obstruction, and more to prevent whaling barges from their poaching activities. The crew is infamous for being captured and held hostage by whalers for weeks at a time.
Its Animal Planet notoriety has allowed it to expand its campaigns towards protecting saving turtles, toothfish, dolphins, and more. They have an impressive and active following on Facebook and Twitter.
The r/Environment subreddit is an active community of over 725,000. There are no fundraisers, no self-posts, no satires, and no petitions allowed. It is strictly a subreddit that encourages conversation and information sharing. Anybody who has a Reddit account can join this group and post articles related to the environment. It’s the largest environment subreddit on Reddit.
Based out of the United States, The Nature Conservancy is dedicated to solving our planet’s biggest environmental challenges. The Conservancy envisions a future where people and nature can both thrive in unison. Its goal is to tackle climate change, protect land and water, provide food and water sustainability, and build healthy cities.
The Nature Conservancy hosts many volunteer opportunities and events throughout the country. In addition, the Conservancy has a network of its own preserves and protected lands, which serve and living laboratories for innovative conservation approaches.
Get involved on their Facebook page or Twitter today.
The Taiga Rescue Network is based out of Sweden. It focuses on educating the public on the importance of boreal forest ecosystems. The Network particularly focuses on educating residential developers and homebuilders on how to build a green home with eco-friendly materials. Their blog is home to many informative DIY green project ideas that incorporate eco-friendly materials and design.
The Taiga Rescue Network operates a small Facebook following but maintains an active blog.
Canadian Environmental Law Association
A public interest organization established in 1970, the Canadian Environmental Law Association offers legal services to individuals and not-for-profit citizen groups. Its goal is to provide access to environmental justice to empower citizens to have their voices heard in the court of law. CELA focuses on cases related to water sustainability, pollution and health, green energy, planning and sustainability, and global agreements.
Not surprisingly for a group of lawyers, their Facebook and Twitter pages are subpar and filled with legal jargon, although they share details of active cases on their website.
The National Wildlife Federation
The United State’s largest wildlife-focused organization, the National Wildlife Federation works on rehabilitating wildlife, restoring critical habitats, and more. The Federation is known for getting children involved through education and outreach. Some of the better-known projects include butterfly and pollinator habitat restoration, wild bison habitats in the Great Plains, and more.
It has an incredibly active Facebook and Twitter communities to get involved with.
The r/ZeroWaste subreddit is a growing community of over 477,000 like-minded zero wasters. The community is comprised of responsible citizens whose goal is to minimize their overall environmental impact. The subreddit encourages challenges, show and tells, DIY projects, tips and tricks, and even memes. It’s a fun way to learn about reducing the amount of waste that you generate daily.
The Environmental Working Group
This Unites States-based Group is best known for its annual ‘Dirty Dozen’ list of foods that have the highest concentrations of pesticide residues. The Environmental Working Group tirelessly researches and educates on the toxic contaminants and harmful farming practices that are detrimental to our health. In addition to information on toxins within our food, the Group covers cosmetics, safe drinking water, and more.
The Environmental Working Group is active on both Facebook and Twitter.
The Ocean Conservancy promotes the idea that “What happens to the ocean impacts us all”. The Conservancy focuses on long-term solutions that encourage a healthier ocean, more diverse aquatic creatures, and flourishing coastal communities. Most famously, the Ocean Conservancy hosts its annual International Coastal Cleanup which is consistently one of the biggest volunteer events of the year. Nearly 1,000,000 annual participants have collected over 145 million pounds of garbage over the past quarter-century.
Check out its active Facebook and Twitter pages to learn more.
The r/Sustainability subreddit is dedicated to longevity through social, economic, and ecological sustainability. The subreddit is governed by just four rules: no greenwashing, no linkjacking, no spam, and to be respectful. Approximately 116,000 members of the community share discussion posts, links, memes, and more of topics related to sustainability.
A globally recognized brand, the Sierra Club has over 3.8 million active members that tackle every environmental issue that it can get its hands on. The Sierra Club magazine is the leader in environmental publications which encourages individuals to get outside and enjoy all that our natural world has to offer. The Sierra Club has committed to making environmental change a priority. Issues tackled include Climate, energy, lands, air, water, and wildlife, people, and justice.
The Facebook and Twitter communities of the Sierra Club are very active and involved.
Founded in 2007, 350.org is one of the youngest and most successful environmental movements in modern times. The name of the organization comes from a collective goal of reducing carbon emissions from about 390 parts per million down to 350 parts per million. The organization is active in stopping the spread of fossil fuels and encouraging the growth of renewable energies. 350.org was active in the Keystone XL pipeline ordeal, fracking in Argentina, and more.
Follow 350.org on Facebook and Twitter to learn about more of their initiatives.
Inspire Your Living – Facebook
A robust group of over 400,000 members on Facebook, Inspire Your Living is lifestyle page dedicated to connecting people to experts and products to help make individual changes at a personal level that drive ourselves towards more humane, environmentally friendly, and nature-aligned decisions. It’s a private group so you will have to request to join by filling out a questionnaire. The page thrives with discussion, events, and community-led action.
Further reading: Our Free Green Resources library